Alger County, Michigan
A shallow water table limits basements on 50% of Alger County's mapped land, a higher share than 66% of US counties. Shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on under 1%.
100% of the county is in drought on the October 13, 2026 Drought Monitor map. FEMA's flood data list 3 flood losses here since 2016. 59% of homes were built before 1980, against 50% nationally; the median home dates from 1974.
Data as of October 13, 2026 · sources
expansive clay: shrink-swell limits slab homes
high water table: limits basements
in drought, October 13, 2026
of homes built before 1980
Soil under Alger County
| Expansive clay (limits slab homes) | under 0.1% |
| High water table (limits basements) | 49.8% |
| Septic fields very limited | 92.2% |
| Clay swell (LEP, by area) | 0.4% |
| High-swell land (LEP 6%+) | 0.1% |
| Mapped soil | 606,887 acres |
| Soil series | Share here | Series nationally: high water table |
|---|---|---|
| Kalkaska | 18% | n/a |
| Rubicon | 5% | n/a |
| Garlic | 5% | n/a |
| Shoepac | 4% | n/a |
| Tawas | 4% | n/a |
| Munising | 3% | n/a |
How we count · survey areas MI003 (2025-09-02)
What the numbers mean here
On 50% of Alger County's mapped land, soil stays saturated within about 6 feet of the surface for part of the year, which is basement depth.
Rain over the 12 months to August 2026: 37.30 in, 2.31 in above the 1991-2020 average year of 34.99 in.
USDA rates 92% of the land very limited for septic absorption fields.
Drought
100% of the county is in drought (D1 or worse) on the October 13, 2026 map. Part of the county was in drought in 3 of the last 52 weeks; the most was 100% of its area, in 2 weeks, most recently on the October 13, 2026 map.
| Category, October 13, 2026 | Share of county |
|---|---|
| D0 abnormally dry or worse | 100% |
| D1 moderate drought or worse | 100% |
| D2 severe or worse | 65.1% |
| D3 extreme or worse | 0% |
| D4 exceptional | 0% |
Flood losses since 2016
3 flood losses since 2016, $15,912 paid. The worst year was 2022, with 3.
| Year | Flood losses |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 to date | 0 |
Rain
| Average year, 1991-2020 | 34.99 in |
| 12 months to August 2026 | 37.30 in (+2.31) |
| 2025 | 36.29 in (+1.30) |
| Wettest year since 1895 | 2019: 45.75 in |
| Driest year since 1895 | 1895: 24.51 in |
| Days with 1 inch or more, normal at MUNISING (8 mi away) | 5.9 |
Homes
| Housing units | 6,217 |
| Median year built | 1974 |
| Built before 1980 | 59% |
| Built 2000 or later | 18% |
| Owner-occupied | 86% |
| Median value, owner-occupied | $176,200 |
| Single-family detached | 86% |
What repairs cost
Published ranges from cost guides, not quotes. More sources, and where they disagree.
Nearby counties
| Place | Distance | Expansive clay | High water table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schoolcraft County, MI | 43 mi | under 1% | 69% |
| Marquette County, MI | 44 mi | 0% | 46% |
| Delta County, MI | 51 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Luce County, MI | 54 mi | 2% | 58% |
| Dickinson County, MI | 68 mi | 0% | 36% |
| Mackinac County, MI | 69 mi | 4% | 68% |
| Menominee County, MI | 79 mi | under 1% | 60% |
| Baraga County, MI | 82 mi | 1% | 53% |
Sources: USDA SSURGO (September 2, 2025) · US Drought Monitor (October 13, 2026) · FEMA NFIP v3 (September 9, 2026) · NOAA (August 2026) · Census ACS 2020-2024. Methods · Data status